Other

Sundstrand Data Control, Inc.

New Sd, Inc.

Richard A Hanson

Bert David Egley

Rex B Peters

Brian L Norling

James R Woodruff

Gerald R Newell

G Richard Newell

Kim W Atherton

Steven A Foote

Edward A Urbach

Gregory S Petree

Novel configurations for a miniature vibrating beam mechanical resonator provide low energy transfer to a supporting structure and low sensitivity to mounting misalignment. A symmetric suspended portion includes two vibrating beams that vibrate normal to a quiescent plane of the resonator, 180 degrees out of phase relative to one another. The vibrating beams are attached, at least at one end, to a torsional coupling element that is joined to a mounting pad along a non-translating suspension boundary. Counterbalances are attached to the vibrating beams, and the resonator is configured such that dynamic forces and moments coupled to each torsional coupling element from the vibrating beams are balanced along each nominal non-translating suspension boundary proximate to the symmetry axis and along the symmetry axis proximate to each nominal non-translating suspension boundary. Each non-translating suspension boundary is a torsional axis for a twisting deformation of the first torsional coupling element.

Miniature mechanical resonator device

Force sensing transducers which employ inline sensing and an integral crossarm support for a sensing component. These transducers have a metal frame with at least one ring; a beamlike crossarm which lies within, spans, and is integral with a ring of the transducer frame; and at least one strain sensor mounted, preferably under preload, in an aperture in the innermost (or single) ring.

Load transducers employing a sensing device

Pressure sensing devices which have a vibrating crystal or other load sensitive component responsive to external pressures and a reference component of the same character for outputting a signal which accurately reflects the magnitude of the external pressure and is obtained by ascertaining the difference between the sensing and reference components output signals. Preloading is employed in installing the sensing component, eliminating the need for bonding and/or mechanical connections and thereby reducing the cost of manufacturing and the potential error in output from the device. A component with a displaceable element such as a bellows or diaphragm is employed to preload the sensing component and to detect external pressure force, and provision is made for limiting the travel of the displaceable element so that the sensing of an external pressure exceeding design limits will not result in the sensing component being loaded to a level which might damage it or cause hysteresis. The reference component is mounted to a compliant support arrangement which preloads that component and subjects it to the same mechanical stiffness as the sensing component. That compensates for thermal coefficient of expansion mismatches, changing temperatures, dimensional instabilities, assembly stresses, and forces attributable to acceleration of the pressure sensing device.

Direct coupled pressure sensing device

A golfer's stance guide is formed by a tubular U-shaped member having a telescoping straight bight portion normal to the axis of the respective leg of the U-shape which is telescopically expanded or collapsed to measure the distance across a golfer's shoulders. The spacing between the legs is the guide for the placement of a golfer's shoe sides adjacent the guide, legs and shoe toes adjacent the respective end portion of the bight portion and the side of his shoe adjacent the respective leg to achieve an optimum stance for each individual golfer.

Golfer's stance guide

Proofmass assembly for an accelerometer having transducers fabricated of crystalline quartz and other components fabricated of fused quartz. The assembly includes a main support, a frame pivotally connected to the support for pendulous movement about a hinge axis such that the frame moves with a component of motion along the sensing axis of the accelerometer, a proofmass connected to the frame for movement about a compensation axis spaced from and generally parallel to the hinge axis, and a pair of transducers connected between the proofmass and the support for sensing forces produced by acceleration of the proofmass along the sensing axis. Differences in thermal expansion between the transducers and the fused quartz components are taken up by rotation of the proofmass about the compensation axis, and the two parallel axes permit translational motion of the proofmass in response to acceleration along the sensing axis without rotation of the proofmass relative to the support.

Temperature compensated proofmass assembly for accelerometers

A method for post-production reduction of scale factor nonlinearities including testing of an assembled torque coil and magnetic circuit to determine nonlinearities. To reduce the scale factor nonlinearities, the position of a magnetic circuit component which intercepts the magnetic flux passing through a torque coil is changed. The position of the interior surface of a magnetic end cap is changed with respect to the position of the torque coil. The location of the interior surface of the end cap is varied by using an end cap having a plug portion which is selected to have an interior surface at a location which minimizes scale factor nonlinearities. An force-balance accelerometer has an improved magnetic circuit for reducing nonlinear scale factors. The magnetic circuit which provides a return path for magnetic flux from a permanent magnet source includes an end cap having an interior surface which is located at an optimum distance from the torque coil of the accelerometer to minimize scale factor distortion. The end cap includes a plug member having a predetermined reference surface for engagement with a reference surface in the end cap to locate the interior surface of the plug at an optimum position.

Adjustment of scale factor linearity in a servo accelerometer

Proofmass suspension assembly for use in accelerometers and the like. The assembly includes a support element, a responsive element mounted on the support element for response to an externally applied stimulation, a first crystal connected between the responsive element and the support element, a second crystal connected to one of the elements, and a compensation arm connected to the second crystal and to the other of said elements, whereby an externally applied stimulation will place one of the crystals in compression and the other of the crystals in compression. The compensation arm has a thermal expansion property such that any difference in thermal expansion between the responsive element and the first crystal produces translation but no rotation of the responsive element relative to the support element.

Proofmass suspension assembly for accelerometers

A pendulous assembly for use in an accelerometer or other such device which senses forces acting on the device in a particular direction is disclosed herein. This assembly includes a proofmass, an arrangement including a frame supporting one end of the proofmass for back and forth pivotal movement about a given axis to a resting plane which entirely contains the proofmass when the latter is at rest, and specifically configured mounting pads connecting the frame and proofmass to main support forming part of the overall force sensing device. In certain embodiments disclosed herein the end edges of these mounting pads are exposed. In other embodiments, the end and side edges of the pads are exposed.

Pendulous assembly including specifically configured mounting pads

A pendulous assembly for use in an accelerometer or other such devices which senses forces acting on the device in a particular direction is disclosed herein. This assembly includes a proofmass and an arrangement supporting one end of the proofmass for pivotal movement back and forth about a given axis through a resting plane which entirely contains the proofmass when the latter is at rest. The support arrangement itself includes a frame, an isolation bridge or bridges, and an arrangement of isolation bridge and proofmass flexures for supporting the isolation bridges between the proofmass and frame.

Pendulous assembly for use in an accelerometer

A pendulous assembly for use in an accelerometer or other such devices which senses forces acting on the device in a particular direction is disclosed herein. This assembly includes a proofmass and an arrangement supporting one end of the proofmass for pivotal movement back and forth about a given axis through a resting plane which entirely contains the proofmass when the latter is at rest. The support arrangement itself includes a frame, an isolation bridge or bridges and an arrangement of isolation bridge and proofmass flexures for supporting the isolation bridges between the proofmass and frame.

A force sensing assembly and particularly one which is especially suitable for use as a pressure transducer is disclosed herein. This assembly includes at least one and preferably a stacked pair of resonating type force sensing devices supported from one end in a cantilvered fashion.

Cantilevered force sensing assembly utilizing one or two resonating

What is disclosed is an improved quartz flexure accelerometer including the well-known elements of a quartz reed positioned between a return path and an end cap, the return path and end cap impelling a compressive load on the reed frame as a result of an adhesive and a preload band. The improvement disclosed includes a recess at the outer periphery of the end cap, the recess defining a compliant member at the bottom of the end cap. The compliant member providing greater strain movement, enabling accurate preload setting between the compliant member of the end cap, the adhesive, the preload band, and the return path. The compliant member also providing spring action to maintain a prolonged constant compressive load on the quartz reed.

Method and apparatus for producing preload of an accelerometer assembly

A force sensing device especially suitable for use in an accelerometer or a pressure transducer, depending upon its particular design. This device includes at least one and preferably two adjacent and parallel, elongated vibratable tines and means for vibrating the tines back and forth in a direction normal to their axes of elongation. These tines are supported for vibration by an arrangement including an array of interconnected links and mounting means adapted to be connected to an external member capable of applying a variable external force to the support arrangement along an axis normal to the axes of elongation of the tines. The support arrangement is configured so as to apply to the tines its own internal force in response to and varying with the external force in a way which causes the tines to vibrate at a frequency that varies with the magnitude of the internal force and therefore the external force. In this way, the vibrating frequency of either or both tines can be sensed for determining therefrom the magnitude of the external force applied to the support arrangement.

Force sensing device

An improved proofmass flexure suspension assembly in which the proofmass is supported by a flexure geometry which allows the proofmass to act as a pendulum tending to rotate in response to acceleration along the sensitive axis and which rejects errors caused by structural strains or loading along or about both cross axis and which further allows the use of different types of associated proofmass position detectors and sensitive axis force transducing elements. The proofmass is pendulously connected to an isolation bridge by proofmass flexures, and the isolation bridge in turn is pendulously connected to a frame by isolation bridge flexures.

Growing community of inventors

Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Richard A Hanson